FTC: Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon is an underrated musician in the history of rock music with a diverse career full of humor and cynicism. I didn’t know much about Zevon outside of the popular “Werewolves of London” for most of my young life. However a friend plopped down Excitable Boy one late college night, and the mood that his music created wasn’t quite like anything I had ever experienced. While it was definitely full of catchy beats that had my foot tapping along, it also had a dark, almost eerie quality to it. Just as I was having an opportunity to really appreciate the man’s music, I discovered that he didn’t like to go to the doctor. He came down with cancer in 2002 at the age of 55 and did the only thing he knew how to do: head back into the studio. His final album, The Wind, remains one of the most heartbreaking albums I have ever listened to (rivaled only by Johnny Cash’s American IV). He died shortly after it’s release. As a celebration of his life, I leave you with the first song I heard when that needle hit the groove on Excitable Boy, the upbeat “Johnny Strikes Up the Band”. Enjoy.